Trucks restricted from left lane in Central Texas

The left lane restriction,
approved by the Texas Transportation Commission this spring, is being enforced
in Williamson County. The highway department doesn’t expect trucks in Hays and
Travis counties to be pulled over by police until signs are erected there,
which TxDOT says will happen over the next few months. Violating the order carries a fine up to $200.

Carlos Lopez, director of the
traffic operations division for the Texas Department of Transportation,
recently told the DentonRecord-Chronicle the agency likes the
no-truck concept because “we think it improves safety.”

Lopez
cited a study completed on the effect of a truck ban along an eight-mile
stretch of Interstate 10 in Houston that showed crashes were reduced by 68
percent, while truck traffic remained constant.

The Houston Police Department’s
presence along the stretch of roadway was also credited for fewer accidents.

Such bans are implemented at the
request of local authorities, Lopez said.

The ban is limited to highways
with three lanes in each direction, enabling truck drivers to pass other
vehicles only if deemed necessary. Truckers can use the left lane for passing
but not for constant travel.

Similar bans are already in place
in Houston along I-10 East, I-435 North and state Highway 225, and in San
Antonio along I-10 and U.S. 90.